Pearson vows to focus on business climate

PROVIDENCE – Freshman Sen. Ryan Pearson, a Cumberland-Lincoln Democrat, described a series of visits he made to businesses and agencies last week as part of a campaign promise he made to focus on economic development and improving the state’s business climate.
He took tours of the Blackstone Valley Community Health Center (BVCHC), Twin River, the Quonset Development Corporation (QDC) and the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
At the BVCHC in Pawtucket, Pearson said he was taken on a tour of the facility by Executive Director Raymond Lavoie and was given a review of health costs and general health policy from the Rhode Island Health Center Association’s policy director, Rebecca Kislak
“Overall, I was impressed with the health center’s new facility, technology and team approach to delivering medical care,” Pearson said in a press release. “The health center’s model is working to deliver great care at a low cost. Its focus on preventative care has truly made a difference in their patients’ wallets and Medicaid budgets.”
That same day, the senator met with Twin River General Manager and Vice President Craig Sculos, who showed him where they will be installing the voter-approved table games.
“We discussed at length the upcoming addition of 350 jobs for the new games, and he expressed to me that Twin River has received an excellent pool of applicants so far,” Pearson related. “It’s great to see this job growth. We also discussed the partnership Twin River shares with the town of Lincoln and the state lottery. Their working partnerships are critical to its future success and I offered my assistance as the casino moves forward with its plans. The anecdotes and information I have taken will surely guide me and my colleagues in this upcoming legislative session.”
Pearson also met with QDC Managing Director Steven King, who gave him an overview of the property and some of the work it has been doing to pre-permit building sites. This pre-permitting is one of the ways QDC is making it easier for others to do business inside the port while cutting red tape for companies that wish to relocate to Quonset. He said the QDC work is highly dependent on improving the state’s business climate, which he will make a top priority in 2013.
The new lawmaker also met with DMV Administrator Anthony Silva, who took him through the process of how the division was working to improve customer service and decrease wait times. Pearson said he benefitted from the meetings with some of the major drivers in the local economy – health care, state services, port development and casinos..
“I made it clear before I was elected that my top priority would be business development and keeping an eye on our overall fiscal stability as a state,” he said. “The discussions I have had with the leaders of our economy have been fruitful and inspiring. The health care community is embracing health reform. Twin River will be a competitive player with our neighbors. Quonset is already expanding its capabilities with a new crane that can accommodate more cargo, and our DMV has seen a noticeable improvement this year.”